Fish protects your skin

26 November 2008

At the beginning of your life, fish will protect your skin against eczema , later it will protect against the ravages of age.

Infants who eat fish before the age of nine months have a more than 20 percent lower risk of developing allergic eczema. This is the result of new research from the University of Göteborg, in which 5,000 parents with young children have participated in a comprehensive study.

Too little omega 3

”These are interesting findings that reinforce the belief that we already held that fish can reduce the effects of childhood eczema,” says Livar Frøyland at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research in Bergen, Norway.

Incidences of eczema, asthma and allergies have increased over the past 30 years. Today, more than 20 and 30 percent of the population of Norway suffer from an allergy, and at least a third of these are seriously affected. Several researchers are looking for an explanation of this in our diet, and Frøyland believes that the answer can be found in too little omega 3 from fish and too much of the plant oil omega 6.

“This gives an imbalance in our bodies, and may contribute to triggering allergic reactions,” says Frøyland.

Fish for infants

”It is positive that we get research results that show that foods that are healthy in general, also can have a preventive effect,“ says advisor Helle Grøttum at the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association.

Grøttum is one of the three nurses who man the phones at the association’s advice line, which receives between 20 and 20 enquiries every day. She recommends parents of young children to introduce the child to new foods, such as fish, while the child is still breast feeding and before it is one year old, unless the child already suffers from allergies. This advice is completely in line with the latest research results from the University of Göteborg.

Omega 3 for your skin

However, it is not just at the beginning of your life that you can protect your skin by eating more fish. The Chinese dermatologist, Wu Yan, from Beijing University has studied which foods care for your skin while stress, age and the environment try to make their mark. Salmon is on Yan’s recommended list, primarily because it contains so much omega 3. This substance builds the skin’s cell membranes, i.e. the layer around the cells that determine what is let into the cell and what is let out. This layer also keeps the moisture on the inside. This is why the skin is able to maintain moisture far better if you build your cells up using omega 3.

“Beauty actually does come from inside, and the key to good skin is often to be careful about what you eat," says Yan.